Time Merchant (LiS episode)
Summary Will is performing an experiment in a cave. His experimental device captures an alien who says that he is "The Great Chronos". Chronos claims to be The Time Merchant. The man who controls time for the entire universe. Smith wants to hold Chronos for ransom, but Chronos talks his way out of it and captures Will and takes him to his lair. Professor Robinson, Dr. Smith, and the Robot follow Kronos and Will to the Time Merchant's lair. There, after he figures out the system, Smith sends himself back to Earth on the day that the Jupiter 2 originally lifted off. He wants to make sure that he does not repeat the mistake of attempting to sabotage the flight. This seems pretty harmless, until Kronos points out that if Smith does not get on the Jupiter 2 to send it off course, the ship will eventually collide with an asteroid and the Robinson party will be killed. Professor Robinson strikes a deal with the Time Merchant. In exchange for some time on Professor Robinson's time tape, the Robot will be sent back to 1997 to warn Dr. Smith of the danger. The Robot arrives in 1997, and after Will also makes a brief trip back to get the Robot going, the mechanical man convinces Dr. Smith to get on the Jupiter 2. Smith and the Robot have to run the gauntlet of Alpha Control security and a commanding officer who is wise to Smith's antics, but they manage to get aboard and force the ship off course. The end of the episode finds Smith leaving the Jupiter 2 in a pressure suit and being returned to the Time Merchant's lair. Background information * Mark Goddard, Angela Cartwright and Marta Kristen are credited but do not appear in this episode. * Guy Williams' stunt double can be seen in the fight scenes in the Time Merchant's lair. * Jonathan Harris' stunt double can be seen when Dr. Smith is returning to the Time Merchant's lair. * Dr. Smith and the Robot are able to sneak about the ship without being seen despite that area being monitored on video as seen in the pilot.. * The Robot's shipping crate is labelled "General Utility Non-Theorizing Environmental ROBOT". * Smith's confession to the Robot about why he cannot go with him to board the ship seems sincere, made so by Jonathan Harris' excellent acting. * Dr. Smith's room back at Alpha Control has a wall-mounted rotary dial telephone. * The Salvador Dalí influence is clearly seen on Dr. Chronos' planet that has pocket watches and clockfaces folded on tree branches as in the painting The Persistence of Memory. * The exterior of the Jupiter 2 was made from masonite, a type of hardboard made of steam-cooked and pressure-molded wood fibers. Its distinctive speckled surface can be seen in this close-up of Smith's hand on the exterior hatch control. The fitting where the tether for the space walks is attached can be seen directly above Smith's hand. Links and references Starring *Guy Williams as Professor John Robinson *June Lockhart as Maureen Robinson Co-starring *Mark Goddard as Don West *Marta Kristen as Judy Robinson *Bill Mumy as Will Robinson *Angela Cartwright as Penny Robinson Special guest star *Jonathan Harris as Dr. Zachary Smith Guest stars *John Crawford as Dr. Chronos *Hoke Howell as Sgt. Rogers *Byron Morrow as General Squires Uncredited co-stars (alphabetical) *Hansom Harry as Jonathan Harris' stunt double *Fred Krone as Chronos' assistant *Bob May as The Robot *Brett Parker as an unnamed security guard *Dick Tufeld as The Robot (voice) *unknown actor as Guy Williams' stunt double References abacus; Alpha Centauri; Alpha Control; baked potato; Chariot; China; chocolate eclair; chrome; clock; dog; Earth; electrocounter; horse; jewel; Jupiter 2; meteor; necklace; Omega galaxy; Operation Bounceback; pickled herring; planet; Rasputin; ready room; scissors; sensor panel; steak sandwich; steel; time machine; time tape; time travel; titanium; transistor; treadmill; turban; water External links * Time Merchant at the Internet Movie Database Category:Lost in Space episodes